More Like Her
by ashleyh13
Summary: Austin and John have been split up for over a year, but still have yet to tell either of their families. Having to visit for her sister's wedding may be a lot harder than either of them anticipated, especially when they're faking their love. Will either of them come clean about their real feelings that still remain or will they continue to hate one another? /OC
1. Chapter 1

**I renamed the main OC and edited some of it. :) - So here is a new story. I was talking with stephnexus and I was like, I'm going to write a new story. :) Here it is. I hope you like it. this first chapter is more like a background kind of. You'll understand later. R&R let me know. **

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Austin couldn't help but smile at her boyfriend as they walked out of the Savannah airport. The warm Georgia air engulfed them as he pulled her towards the rental car. She was happy to be home. Whoever made up the saying, 'There's no place like home,' was 100% right. There definitely was no place like Savannah, Georgia. She had visited several places in her life, but this was her favorite. She tossed her purse into the backseat after getting into the passenger seat of the Jeep Cherokee. John had to admit that he loved coming to Savannah. It was a great escape from the rest of the world. He was somewhat skeptical of its magic until he finally stepped foot inside the town.

As they came to a stop in front of her house she let out a deep sigh. Ignoring the luggage in the back, Austin made her way inside. The moment the door opened the sound of paws against the hardwood floors could be heard. Within moments, four dogs appeared and bombarded her with the love that only your pets can give you. She had a miniature husky, Wolf; a Teacup Pomeranian, Boo; a Rottweiler, Shortie; and a black Lab, Jake. The Rottweiler had grown very close to John since they had started dating; and she was sure that he now considered it to be his own.

John groaned as he fell back onto the couch, Shortie not far behind resting his head in John's lap."What time do we need to be at your parents?"

"They will probably start serving food around five…"

"Is she making pie?"

"No."

"Four-thirty." She shook her head slightly amused. She couldn't deny that her mother's homemade pies were great, but John practically fought with her brothers to make sure that he got the most; which meant that he fit in well. Her brothers always fought to make sure they got the most growing up, it was no surprise they still did.

Seeing his eyes slowly start to close, she smiled. "Do you want me to wake up when it's time to go?"

He shook his head. "I want you to stay here with me." Patting with couch next to him, he reached for her. Her smile grew larger as she crossed the living room and sat next to him cuddling into his side. Pressing his lips to her forehead, he whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too, Johnny."

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Sam couldn't believe that John hadn't proposed yet. She knew from the moment she met him that he and Austin would get married one day. They had been together for five years; didn't he think it was time to pop the question? Sam was Austin's sister, younger by only one year. They were inseparable growing up. They still told each other everything, Sam was the first one to know about John and the first one to know that Austin was leaving Savannah. She met John before the rest of their family when she went to visit her sister at a show. Before she even knew they were together, Sam could tell that he had feelings from the way he looked at her.

The two sisters were sitting at the dock, their feet dangling in the water. They weren't speaking. They didn't need to. Austin knew what Sam was thinking, she was thinking it too. But she was happy just being with John. "Jane is coming…"

"Goodie," was all that she could manage to say. Jane was their cousin; the same age as Alex. Growing up she had also been close with the sisters. They stopped talking after Austin left Savannah to pursue her career.

"You should at least be nice, for mom and dad."

"We'll see what happens…"

"Sam, Austin," they heard someone call their names. Turning they saw none other than Jane herself.

"Be nice," Sam hissed. Austin rolled her eyes and pushed herself up from the dock. Slipping her feet into her sandals, she stood next to Sam as Jane approached them; a glass of wine in her hand, sunglasses on covering her eyes, and high heels sticking into the ground with each step she took.

"Hello ladies, how are you?" Jane had changed too. She was no longer the small town girl she once was. She had turned into quite the sassy, rich girl. She liked things to go her way. And if they didn't, it got really ugly, really fast.

"We're fine, how are you Jane?" Sam asked. She quickly embraced her cousin taking a step back. Jane's eyes moved from Sam to Austin who was picking at her nails. She was doing anything she could to avoid talking to her cousin.

"I'm just perfect. I just got back from the most wonderful trip in Paris."

"That's really nice Jane." Austin rolled her eyes. Every time she came home for the holidays and Jane was there she had to hear about how she went on these magnificent trips. She couldn't deny it was annoying. You never heard her bragging about her trips overseas, or the things that she did.

"Why don't we go get some lunch? My treat," Jane suggested. Sam accepted the invitation for all three of them.

"How long have you two been together?" Jane asked from across the table. It was about half way through lunch, Jane and Sam had kept conversation for the most part. Austin was perfectly fine with that. She didn't need to be included.

"Five years."

"Damn." Jane brought the wine glass in her hand to her lips drinking what was left before placing it on the table. "Five years is a long time when you're still so young."

"I know what I want Jane. Okay? I'm happy. Just because you aren't happy doesn't mean I'm not." Taking a deep breath, Austin pushed herself away from the table. She wasn't going to get into an argument, it wasn't worth it. She knew what was going on in her life, Jane didn't.

"Are you sure about that Aus? Because I don't think you really are. You can't be that perfect all the damn time!"

"Don't down my relationship because your boyfriend cheated on you Jane. Sorry that you're such a bitch you can't keep a relationship." Sam watched her older sister walk out of the restaurant and looked at her cousin who sat with a hardened expression. This was going to be long rest of the weekend.

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"Bye mommy," Austin smiled slightly and kissed her mother's cheek. Her mother hugged her oldest daughter tightly. She rarely saw her because of her work schedule and when Austin did get time off, she was at home sleeping or at the gym. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Ausi. Take care of my baby girl, John."

"I will Mrs. C," he smiled and hugged her. "And I promise to make her call you." She laughed and kissed his cheek.

"What would I do without you?"

"Bye daddy," Austin hugged her father tightly.

He kissed her temple, "Be a good girl Aus, okay? Come home soon."

After saying goodbye the others, they made their way towards the Jeep. Letting out a deep sigh, Austin climbed into the passenger seat and rested her head against the window. It got harder and harder for to leave Savannah each time. She missed her home. She missed her family, her friends, her dogs, the ocean, and the peace of her home town. She loved being on the road and her job, but she almost thought about taking a break from it all. Looking over at John, she silently thought about what he would think if she told him that she was going to take a break.


	2. Chapter 2

Austin grimaced as she stepped off of the plane. She couldn't believe that the next week of her life was going to consist of this torture. Don't take it the wrong way; she loved her little sister, but the only problem was that she had not told her family about the break up. They had no idea that she and John had broken up more than year ago. But it wasn't like he was being completely honest either, he still hadn't told his family. Neither of them knew how to break the news that the relationship was over.

Thunder boomed as she stepped outside of the Savannah airport. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she saw him leaning against a black Range Rover waiting for her to arrive. After a few moments, he looked up from the phone screen in his hands to see an impatient Austin waiting to get into the awaiting car. "Can you move?"

"Excuse me princess." Scoffing, she tossed her things into the back before climbing into the front seat. This was going to be a long week. How were they going to survive without killing each other? The ride to her house seemed longer than it ever had. A twenty minute ride seemed like a lifetime. You could practically cut the tension that sat in between the two of them with a large butcher knife. When he parked in front of her house, she got out and immediately went inside to her bedroom. She was not going to stick around and take a chance on running into him. Not until tomorrow when they had to face each other.

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"Austin," Samantha exclaimed as her older sister stepped out onto the back porch. Practically tackling her, Sam wrapped her arms around Austin who couldn't help but laugh. "I'm so happy you're here!"

"I... We wouldn't miss it for the world Sam, you know that." It took the younger girl a moment to realize what her older sister had said and looked behind her to see John. Sam's smile widened even more before she captured him in a death grip hug.

"I haven't seen you in forever," she whispered as she hugged him. He felt the ball begin to rise in his throat. How did he respond? He couldn't tell her the truth. That would only cause more issues between him and Aus. But it was Samantha, and he knew that Austin would eventually tell her before the weekend was over. As Sam pulled from him she gave him a knowing look. One that made him more nervous than he already was, it that was at all possible.

"You made it!" The familiar British accent caught his attention as he looked up. John saw his ex girlfriend hugging another brunette. He should have known that she would be here. The British native sent him a small nod before turning her attention back to Austin and Samantha. The male standing next to them let out large sigh before making his way towards John. Sure they weren't the best of friends, but they could learn to get along for this week couldn't they? His blonde hair stuck out from the darker brown of his ponytail, and he couldn't help but notice the looks that some people shot towards him. Though he chose to ignore them. He was here to support their friend on her big day.

"Wow man, you clean up nice," John smirked as the younger man reached him. Seth before slowly running his hand through his hair.

"I wish I could say the same."

"Austin seems to think so."

"You mean, she used to think so." Within moments his large hand collided with the back of Seth's head. The younger man's eyes narrowed and glared toward John. "What the hell dude?"

"Shut the hell up!"

"Is everything okay over here," the female's voice was low and laced with aggravation. The smile on her face hid the true feelings from anyone else that may have been around. John draped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

"It's all good babe, don't worry." She grimaced slightly, but smiled up at him before he pulled her away from Seth who was now being scolded by his girlfriend.

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Her giggles filled the air as John pulled her back into his lap. She weakly smiled towards him as he stole an unwanted kiss. Her eyes told another story from the smile that was glued to her lips. Sam cooed at them, she wanted what they had. At least she thought that she did. She was marrying the man of her dreams, she had found true love in him. But she knew that what her sister had found in John was something special, something that only happens once every so often.

"I hope that Danny and I are like you guys one day..." She said carrying beers in from the kitchen. Danny laughed lightly as his finance sat down next to him and kissed her temple.

"Don't worry babe, we'll be better."

"I don't think you could match us," John challenged. And in some instance he was right. What kind of people pretended to be together even after they broke up? Sure it was because they had no idea how to break the news to everyone, but did they really want to officially end their relationship? John always thought about it. And he was sure that Austin did as well, but he never questioned her on the subject. They fought enough as it was and he didn't want to add fuel to the fire.

"I'm sure we could beat you at anything."

Austin rolled her eyes as the two men continued to go back and forth on which couple could beat the other. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and laced their fingers together before tracing invisible circles on his hands. If she was going to have to fake this, she was at least going to get some enjoyment out of it. There was no harm in that right?

Sam could notice something was bothering her sister as she watched her from across the room. She watched as her older sister stayed in her own world, lost in a deep thought. Usually this would be the time that they would sneak off from the guys and do something together. But Sam wasn't sure if she should break the train of thought that was currently residing in her sister's head.

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Austin locked her front door and leaned her head against the cool wood. She heard his footsteps coming from the kitchen back towards the foyer. She wanted nothing more than to be alone. But if she didn't get away now, he wasn't going to let that happen. Quickly turning to leave, she let out a sigh as she almost ran straight into his broad chest. "Don't tell me you're going to lock yourself back in your room again..."

"So what if I was."

"Come on Aus, just stay out here with me. Relax."

"Why do I want to relax with you John? I have to spend enough time with you every day as it is. I would like to have some time to myself where it doesn't involve you." Pushing past him she walked down the hallway and slammed her bedroom door shut. She sat on the edge of the bed, slowly sliding down until she sat on the floor with her back against the edge. She held back the sob that was threatening to escape her lips before wiping her eyes. How did she let it get this out of control? She loved him didn't she? After everything that had happened between them, she still loved him. How it was possible, she had no idea. But she didn't want to. She wanted to move on. She was ready to come clean. And after this week, she was going to do exactly that. Whether he liked it or not.


	3. Chapter 3

"You look gorgeous Austin." Sam smiled as she walked up behind her sister. Austin titled her head to the side as she examined herself in the mirror. Clad in a maroon dress that reached just below her knees. The neck sliced into a v, revealed some of her cleavage but not a lot; it still left enough to one's imagination. The dress was classy yet sexy, just the way she liked it. "John won't be able to keep his eyes off of you." Austin laughed lightly. Turning away from the mirror, the mention of his name made her instantly uncomfortable. She stepped down from the pedestal to sit down in one of the chairs. Be cautious of the beautiful silk she took a drink from one of the wine glasses on the small table beside her. Sam couldn't help but notice the reaction that Austin gave when she mentioned John. Usually whenever she would say something about him, her sister would giggle and blush. This was definitely not the same Austin. "Is everything okay with you two?"

"Hm?" Austin looked up from her lap at her sister.

"Is everything okay, with you and John?"

Austin hesitated. Should she just come clean? Should she finally tell her sister, the person she had never kept anything from, the truth about her and John? Swirling the red wine in the glass, she watched as it rose and fell against the clear walls leaving small traces as it slowly dripped down to meet the rest. Sighing she looked up. "Sam.. If I tell you something, do you promise not to be upset with me?"

"Of course!"

"Even if it is something that I've been keeping from you?"

"What could be so bad that you've kept from me?" Samantha's smile faded from her lips when she saw the serious expression remaining on her sister's face. She knew that there was definitely something wrong. "What's bothering you Aus?"

"Do you remember that weekend when I just showed up? I said that John was busy at work and that's why he wasn't with me."

Sam nodded. "You said that they had given you some time off and you came home."

"Well that wasn't entirely true."

"What do you mean?"

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John intertwined their fingers as he met her outside of the car. Austin let out a sigh as they walked towards her parents' home. She saw Sam standing on the porch talking to Danny, laughing as he whispered something in her ear. As they got closer, Austin had a feeling that this night wasn't going to end well.

"Be nice, Samantha," Danny hissed into his fiance's ear seeing the couple walking towards them.

"No promises, Daniel."

"Do it for your sister." She sighed as Austin and John stepped up onto the porch. She glared towards him seeing him keep his hand on her lower back. How could she allow him to hold her so close after what he had done? How could she keep this up for so long?

"Hey guys," Austin smiled weakly towards Danny before hugging her sister. "Please Sam, don't say anything in front of mom and dad." After pulling away she pulled John towards the door before Sam could say anything to him. Austin couldn't deny she was afraid that her little sister would slip in front of their parents. They weren't dumb, if they noticed the slightest difference they would know something was up.

"Austin you're here!" Her mother exclaimed as she walked out of the kitchen. She hugged her daughter tightly and kissed her forehead. "You feel so thin honey."

"Are you going to say that every time you hug me?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you."

"I'm fine mom. Besides, you just saw me the other day."

Her mother smiled weakly and nodded. She let go of her daughter and turned towards the man standing next to her. A large smile grew on her lips as she she hugged him. She couldn't deny that she loved seeing them together. They were perfect for each other and she knew that they would end up married one day. "How are you, John?"

"I'm good, Mrs. C, how are you?"

"I've been cooking all day, I made a special pie just for you to take home with you." He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you."

"Don't stray to far now, the food is about ready." Her mother walked back into the kitchen leaving the two alone. John wrapped his arms around Austin as she let out a heavy sigh. As much as she wanted to fight him and push him away from her, she couldn't. She gave in.

"You know you don't have to fake it when no one is around," Sam hissed as she walked inside. John rolled his eyes and Austin pushed him away. "Maybe you forgot that you aren't together anymore John. So when no one is around, you don't have to worry about touching my sister." Before she could say anything more, Daniel took hold of Samantha's hand and drug her to dining room.

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"Wait, you told Sam?" Steph asked as she sat down across from Austin. The English-Native shook her head in disbelief. She knew that her best friend had been having a hard time not telling her family, but did she really have to tell her sister now? This was probably not the best time to do that."

"I had to tell her. I couldn't keep it from her anymore... And now, she hates him. So much." As if on cue, the rest of their party arrived. Before John could sit next to Austin, Sam was quick to take the seat, Danny next to her, and Seth sat across from her next to Stephanie. John rolled his eyes. He was already growing tired of Samantha. She might even be worse than her sister, and that was who he had dated. Shaking his head he looked at Austin for help. She motioned at the chair across the table next to the Stephanie.

Sam silently thanked God that they were they the only people in the bar as the night went on. She had never really seen her sister drink before. She had only seen the aftermath. One thing she wasn't liking at the moment was how close she was getting to her ex. It was like she didn't have any self respect. Danny finished off her beer before kissing her cheek, only causing her to pull away from him. Sure she had had a few beers of her own. But he reeked of alcohol. "What's wrong babe?" he whispered.

"I want to go home."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I'll go tell them that we're leaving okay?" She nodded and watched him as he left. They seemed irritated that they were leaving early, but made no big fuss as he made his way back over to her. Sam continued to watch them as he paid for their drinks and prepared to leave. As they headed out the door, his sentence caught her off guard: "Your sister says to stop glaring at her by the way."

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Austin didn't know how she had gotten here. She was supposed to hate him. She was supposed to be in her room alone without him. But that was not the case. She knew that going out for drinks was not going to end well if he was there. But she did it anyway. Hell even Steph said something. But did she listen? No. Maybe it was because in all reality she really did miss him. She really did still love him.

She wrapped her hands around his neck as he pressed his body into hers firmly, trapping her up against the wall. Their lips caught in a fiery connection. She wrapped her legs around his body, kicking her stiletto heels off of her feet. They collided with the floor as he moved away from the foyer towards her bedroom.

She moaned as he gently nibbled on the delicate skin of her neck. The dress she wore zipped in the front, something he was silently thanking God for. He began slowly unzipping it, kissing just above the zipper. He left a trail of kisses between her breasts, down her stomach, and just above her pantie line. He tossed the dress from the bed. "You're so fucking perfect." He brought his lips to hers once more in a passionate lip lock. His rough hands gently squeezed her breasts, his fingers playing with her nipples. He felt a shiver run through his body as her hands moved down his chest towards his growing member. She slowly pulled his shirt over his head before kissing and biting down his neck making sure to leave her own marks...

She dug her nails into his shoulders, kissing him passionately as he thrust, hitting her sweet spot every time. Their moans filled the night air. He gripped his hand into her long hair and pulled her head back allowing him access to her entire neck. He bit down on her collarbone, both of them climaxing, before rolling to her side.

She let out a small yawn as she curled into her side. He kissed the side of her head. How had he been able to lie to this woman? Why hadn't he been able to just tell her the truth? Then he wouldn't even be in this situation right now. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her. Kissing her head one last time, he rest his head against hers and closed his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

The sounds of birds chirping filled the room and the bright sunlight radiated in onto her face. She groaned rolling over to face the wall. She could feel a migraine coming on as she slowly opened her eyes looking around her bedroom. The clothes from the night before were no longer on the floor. They had been picked up and neatly folded before being placed on her dresser. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled her home. All of these were signs that he was already awake. Sighing, she slowly sat up in bed.

He saw her walk into the kitchen wearing a pair of shorts and over-sized t-shirt. Her hair was soaking wet from the shower she had just taken. Handing her an advil and water, she nodded towards him before leaving the kitchen. He should have known that she wasn't going to stick around much after their night.

Taking a water bottle from the fridge, he followed her into the living room and sat across from her on the foot rest. Her eyes never left the screen of the laptop that rested in her lap. Instead, he slowly slid it from her hands and closed it. "What the hell John!"

"I think we need to talk."

"I was in the middle of something, whatever it is can wait."

"No Austin. We are going to talk about this now, or it will never happen. You and I both know that."

She glared at him, "What do you want?"

"Last night..."

"Was nothing but a stupid, careless mistake," she commented, knowing just how to shoot the man down.

John bit down on the inside of his cheek as he looked at the smirk on her lips; how could she be so cruel to him?

"Did you honestly think that after last night we were going to get back together or something? I don't know what delusional land you live in, but that will _never_ happen." Austin pushed herself up from the couch, she had to get away from the conversation. But before she could make it back to her bedroom and lock herself away from him, John grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her back, desperate to make his voice heard.

"We're not done talking."

"Yes we are."

"Why didn't you stop me? Why did you let me keep going, huh?" He asked, his eyes scanning her face to note her reaction. She didn't react; she just stood there, her expression unreadable. John took this as his cue to continue, "If last night meant absolutely nothing to you, why'd you let it happen? That makes no sense Austin! Someone doesn't just do that unless it means something to them!"

The hot liquid burned her eyes as the words poured from his lips. She tried to blink back the tears that brimmed her eyes, determined not to cry in front of him–she had done enough of that already. "You cheated on me dammit! How can I ever trust you again? I can't. I can't ever trust you again. You broke my heart once and I'm not going to let you do it again... I hate you, John. I hate you!" A few tears slipped down her cheeks as she pulled away from his grasp. Picking up her keys, she slid on her shoes and slammed the door shut behind her. When she was finally inside of her car, Austin broke down. She had never told anyone that she hated them. Truthfully, she did somewhat hate him, but she loved him too.

They do say there is a fine line between love and hate….

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Austin's father smiled when he saw his daughter walk into the house. She smiled weakly towards him, trying to hide the emotions that she was feeling at the moment. But he wasn't stupid. He could see right through her. Calling her mother into the living room, they waited for her to come clean about whatever it was that bugging her. "Daddy... Mommy... I have something that I need to tell you." She ran a shaky hand through her long hair. She had no idea how they were going to react. They were probably going to be upset that she hadn't told them from the beginning. But she couldn't hold it against them, honesty was the best policy.

"Oh my goodness! You're pregnant, aren't you? Oh, how I do love John!" Her mother's exclamation was enough to make Austin even more irritated than she had been earlier.

"No mother. I'm not pregnant!" She sighed. "John and I aren't even together. We haven't been for over a year."

Their expressions changed quickly, to that of shock, confusion. What did she mean they hadn't been together for over a year?

"We broke up," she said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Actually, I broke up with him because I found out he had been cheating on me." A bitter laugh escaped her lips, she felt as stupid as the time she had found out that he had cheated.

...

_Austin laughed as she and Eve walked outside of the hotel. They were on their way to meet Eve's boyfriend for dinner. Austin tried to hide the disappoint that she was feeling from her best friend, but it was evident she was upset her boyfriend had canceled at the last minute. He claimed that he had to something for Vince, lately it seemed that he had to do a lot for Vince, more than normal. Austin wasn't stupid. She was starting to get suspicious, but every time she questioned him he denied it. _

_Eve sent a reassuring smile towards her best friend. "Don't worry, I'm sure he just got caught up in something for work." _

_"Yeah... That's always it." Shaking her head, Austin sat silently in the passenger seat for the rest of the car ride until her phone rang. _

_'MAJOR ISSUE. I THINK JOHN MIGHT BE CHEATING ON YOU WITH MY SISTER. -B' _

_Austin felt her heart drop. The hot liquid burned her eyes as she read Brie's message over and over. Eve noticed that she hadn't responded to the person nor put her phone away, increasing her curiosity as to what the message said. _

_"Everything okay?" _

_She shook her head. _

_"Who was it?" Instead of answering, Austin handed Eve her phone. She couldn't find the words. She felt like an idiot. What had she done to deserve this? He was cheating on her, and with the person who hated her the most... _

...

"What?" Her mother looked appalled.

"And you've been bringing him around, despite the fact he cheated on you?" her father questioned.

"I didn't know how to tell you. You were all so happy when I finally found someone that was so incredible, so perfect. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, and I know that I should have."

The tears returned to her eyes as she watched her mother cross the room to embrace her. "Honey, you should never feel like you can't tell us something. You can tell us anything. He hurt you. He hurt our little girl and we have been opening our home to him without knowing the pain that he caused you." Austin let out a small sob as she held tightly onto her mother. Her mother gently stroked her hair, kissing her daughter's forehead. "Don't waste your tears on him honey. He isn't worth it."

"If he can't see that you're the best thing he is ever going to find, he is as dumb as the day is long," he father added with a small smile.

The sound of the doorbell filled the air of their home.

Austin could hear her father's voice growing louder as he continued to speak to the person on the other side of the door. Walking towards the foyer of her parents' home, she saw John standing on the front porch. His eyes met hers for a brief second before turning back to her fathers. "John, do you know how much harm you have done here? You waited over a year? Did you think about the harm that would cause?"

John said nothing. Even though he was not the only person who wanted to wait, he still did not argue. He wasn't going to disrespect the man in front of him. "I think it's best if you leave and don't come back. Stay out of my daughter's life. Do you understand me?" Austin watched as John hesitantly nodded in response. "Now, you are no longer invited to the wedding. Samantha would not want you here. I'm sure the hotel in town still has some rooms left."

"Yes sir," John's voice was low and weak as he responded to her father. But he couldn't argue. He respected the man in front of him too much, if he argued he knew that it would only cause more damage, damage that he just didn't need.

Austin felt her heart breaking as she watched him turn to walk away. She wanted to stop him, but she couldn't.

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Steph smiled as Seth kissed her cheek before he intertwined their fingers as they walked out of the hotel. As the both of them were walking towards their car, something, or rather someone, caught Seth's attention which caused him to bring them both to a halt. Stephanie saw the person as well and she couldn't do anything but roll her eyes as a laugh escaped her lips. Pulling away from Seth, she made her way towards him and she leaned against his car, watching as he pulled his bags from the trunk. "So, she finally decided to kick you out, huh?"

Looking up, he grimaced when he saw the two standing before him. Normally, he wouldn't mind being around them. But, at the moment, they were the last people he wanted to see. "Her dad did, actually."

"What?" Stephanie asked, her eyes narrowing.

"She told her parents," John sighed. "I went over there to find her. Her dad kicked me out."

Stephanie tried to stifle the giggle that was threatening to escape her lips. "You know you deserve all of this, right?"

"I don't deserve any of this."

"How can you say you don't deserve this?" Stephanie scoffed before continuing. "You fucking cheated on the best damn thing to ever happen to you!"

John shook his head with a small smirk on his face, "There is always two sides to everything, Steph. Maybe you should find out the truth before you go around thinking you know it all."

Stephanie tilted her head a little, confused as to what he meant. Before she had the chance to ask any questions, John gripped onto his bags and left towards the hotel entrance, wishing that all of the damage would vanish into thin air.


	5. Chapter 5

Austin tossed the black clutch into the chair in the corner of her room, exhausted but relieved she could finally have some time to herself. Kicking off her heels, she let out a sigh of relief, for her feet were aching from the constant standing and couldn't help but to collapse onto her bed. Closing her eyes, she slowly pulled herself further up the bed burying her face into the cold side of the soft pillow. The night had seemed to drag on; don't get the wrong idea, she was more than happy for her little sister. Sam deserved the fairy tale wedding that she had always dreamed of, but did it have to drag on for a lifetime? As it got later into the night, Austin did her best to muster up a smile, but it seemed to get harder and harder. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that her dirty little secret had gotten out and now everyone was looking at her like she was some disease, or if she was genuinely just ready to get out of there. Probably a little bit of both, she thought to herself. But at the end of the day, it didn't matter anymore. She was just happy to be home. Letting out a deep breath, she slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

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.

.

Eventually people in the town would have to stop talking about her, but for now she was the catalyst of the town gossip. Unfortunately, she knew that it was going to happen, but she also knew there was no point in trying to prepare herself for it. As soon word got out that they had broken up and then pretended to be together for over a year, people were going to talk for a while, the very thought made her chuckle somewhat – to her, it was ridiculous that people grabbed onto gossip tightly and refused to let it go. The 'scandal' would give them something to talk about on their front porches while drinking their sweet ice tea or at their book clubs when they were supposed be discussing the latest book they had read. But did Austin really care? No. She didn't care at all, in fact. If they wanted to talk, let them. She didn't have to defend her actions, nobody has lived in her shoes and so no one can truly understand why she did what she did – why judge someone when you hardly know them?

She could feel their hawk-like eyes on her as she ran down the street. Slowing her pace, Austin turned her head in the direction of the two middle aged women sitting on the white porch. Their eyes quickly averted hers, moving towards one another, fake smiles plastered on their faces. It was more than obvious what they had been talking about. The cackling hens were terrible at trying to hide their gossip. Rolling her eyes, Austin started to pick up her pace again after walking for a few more seconds.

"Stupid hens..." she mumbled as she turned up the music on her phone and continued running, and more importantly, continued ignoring the stares and.

_Let's meet up later. -Steph_

Austin slowed down once again to respond to the text.

_K, sounds good. -A_

_It will be good for you._

_Yeah._

_Seriously._

_I said Yeah._

_And with that all sorted, she continued on her run._

.

.

.

Steph had to admit her best friend could be a little temperamental, but wouldn't anyone be when you go through what she went through? She smiled lightly towards her boyfriend when they pulled up to her house. Before Stephanie could get out of the car, Seth stopped her, startling the female. "What's wrong?"

They hadn't seen Austin since Sam's wedding, and even then they hadn't talked to her much. But what John had said to them had been bugging him nonstop. He was one hundred percent sure they needed to tell. "I think we need to tell her what he said."

"You don't honestly think he meant anything by that."

"When he said, '_There is always two sides to everything. Maybe you should find out the truth before you go around thinking you know it_ _all_.' He obviously meant something, we can't just shrug it off. Ihonestly think we need to tell her." Looking out the window, Seth saw the Savannah native standing on her front porch waiting for them. She looked shaken up, as though she had been crying. Her eyes were red and her cheeks appeared tear-stained. Her arms were wrapped around her petite frame that was drowning in the dark grey hoodie she wore. "I think we need to get inside..."

_._

_._

_._

_The phone rang as she stepped out of the shower. Normally she wouldn't answer unfamiliar numbers, but for some reason she felt like she needed to answer this. The voice on the other end made her tense. How did she get her number? Her sister would not give it to her, she knew how this would end. "What do you want Nicole?" Austin's voice was laced with venom as she answered._

_"Please don't hang up Austin."_

_"Give me one good reason."_

_"I have something really important to tell you..." __With__ the way Nicole spoke, you could tell that she didn't expect the other woman to listen to her. But she was hoping she would. Nicole knew that she had ruined Austin's life, sent her dreams crashing down, and honestly she didn't blame Austin for hating her even more than before._

_"How did you even get my number?"_

_"I got it from Brie's phone. I know that you're home for your sister's wedding, but I know he hasn't told you..."_

_"What?"_

_Austin could feel the tears burning her eyes. What could she possibly have to tell her that John hadn't already? Was she calling to rub in her face that they were finally together now that she and John had officially announced their break up?_

_"I know you probably won't believe me, I mean I don't expect you to after everything... And I'm sorry for the way I've treated you in the past. You didn't deserve it. But I just wanted you to know, John never cheated on you. We kissed __and __that's__ it. I'll be honest __with you, __I tried to make him go further, but he wouldn't, he stopped me. He would always leave or something. He couldn't do it to you." Nicole heard silence on the other end of the line. At least it wasn't a dial tone. That meant that Austin was at least listening, or she could think she was. "I'm sorry, I don't know why he didn't tell you."_

_"I have to go."_

_"I hope we can try to get along from now on…" Nicole__ was quick to say__ before Austin could hang up._

_"Yeah, sure. Thanks Nicole."_

_Austin hit the bright red button taking a deep breath. The burning liquid spilled over her eyes. How could he not tell her __the truth__? __She threw her phone down beside her as a mixture of emotions flooded into her body; where was she meant to go from here?_


	6. Chapter 6

She glared at the younger man on the other side of the dark marble counter. Biting down on her lower lip, she shook her head in disbelief. Letting out a small sigh, she leaned over the front desk and grabbed a hand full of his dark green dress coat. His matching green eyes widened as she practically pulled him over the counter. "Listen to me and listen to me good; you and I, we know each other. You know that I'm not going to ask you for information on a guest unless it's important." Her words grew more lethal as she continued to speak. "Now tell me where he is, Kyle."

Kyle swallowed the lump in his throat. He had never been on the receiving end of Austin's anger before. Now that he had, it was not a place he planned on being again. The two had graduated high school together; growing up he had seen her get mad at many people over the years, but he never knew how mean she really was. He slowly loosened her grip on him and let out a shaky breath. Readjusting himself, he squared his shoulders and stood up straight before looking around the lobby to make sure that none of his colleagues were around. "He left the day after he checked in, the same day as your sister's wedding. He was only here for one night. And before you ask me where he went, I don't know. I didn't ask. All I know is that he was in a hurry to get out." Grimacing, Austin let out a frustrated sigh and turned from the counter.

She practically ran into Seth and Stephanie as she walked out of the Savannah hotel. They noticed how frustrated she seemed, figuring that it had to do with her ex-boyfriend. She probably had just gone to confront him about what Nicole said. "Where did he go?" Seth noticed that she was directing her question towards him. But he didn't know what she meant.

"Who?"

"John. Where is he?"

"He probably went to the gym."

She laughed at his response. "He isn't even in Savannah you dumbass."

"Sorry," Seth replied, his eyes widening a little at the bitterness of her voice. "What do you mean he isn't in Savannah? I can assure you that he-"

"He isn't in Savannah!"

"Then I don't know where he is.."

"Well, thank you for the help." Austin spat before she turned her back on them and made her towards her car.

Steph couldn't help but laugh at the look on Seth's face, "Well, she certainly put you in your place."

"Shut up," Seth muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Stephanie simply smirked towards him before turning serious as she spoke, "Seriously, Seth, if you ever 'cheat' on me and I end up like Austin, I will murder you."

Seth narrowed his eyes towards his girlfriend as they walked inside, "Why would I cheat on you?"

"I'm not saying you would, moron."

"What is it with people insulting me today?" Seth questioned. "I may as well insult myself seeing as it's National Insult Seth Rollins Day. I have stupid hair that makes me look like a skunk."

"Aw, baby," Steph cooed as she pinched his cheeks. "Don't worry, I love skunks."

"You do?"

"Ew, no. I just wanted to make you feel better," Stephanie said as she walked ahead of him.

.

.

.

John's shoulders fell. He felt the weight of the entire room on his shoulders, hell it felt like he was holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. He held his head in his hands as he sat on the familiar white couch of his parents home. The room was silent. No one knew what to say. How could the react to what they had just been told?

Over a year they had been fooled by the couple. It was very believable; they were either very good actors or they feelings in the relationship never left. From what his mother was seeing at the moment, she gathered that his feelings never ceased. And if she knew Austin as well as she thought, the same was true.

"You waited a year to say anything?" The first words out of his father's mouth stung a little, but he wasn't expecting them to accept this warmly.

"We didn't know how to tell you..."

"A year is a little long, John."

"You think I don't know that?"

"What about the ring?" Correction. That really stung. His brother Matt stood in the doorway of the living room, it was obvious that this wasn't settling well. "What about you wanting to settle down? Why would you cheat on her? With Nicole of all people."

John ran a hand over his face. He didn't know how to answer those questions. Actually he did, but he knew exactly how dumb it all sounded. Pushing up from the couch, he walked away from the conversation, "I'm not in the mood for this right now."

He walked into the room he had once called his own, looking around he let out a sigh before slowly walking back into the hallway. When he walked out of his old bedroom he came face to face with everything he had been trying to escape. Talking about it was nothing like seeing it in front of him. Swallowing the lump in his throat he took the picture down from its place on the wall. They looked so happy. Genuinely happy. He smiled remembering back to when the picture had been taken. It was their first Christmas together and he was introducing her to the rest of his family, she had only met his dad and Matt.

...

_"We are so late," Austin complained as they pulled into the driveway. She ran her hand through her hair as she stepped out of the truck waiting for her boyfriend to guide her up to the front door. "This is your fault. I was actually on time today." _

_"They know to expect me to be late, babe." _

_"But this just looks bad for me!"_

_He laughed and kissed her forehead before opening the front door of his parents' home. "It will be fine. My dad already loves you." She smiled weakly before taking a deep breath. It was true, his father did love her. They met at a show and he instantly thought she was the one for his son. _

_"Jonathan why are you late?" Austin heard a voice scold her boyfriend as an older woman walked out from the kitchen. She smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around John before kissing his cheeks. "We've missed you!"_

_"I've missed you too, Mom." _

_"Austin!" The familiar voice caught her attention as she was hoisted into the air. She laughed as he placed her on his shoulder and swung her around. "I'm so glad you're here!" _

_"Matt it's so good to see you," she giggled before kissing his cheek. His mother couldn't help but scrutinize the woman in front of her. What did everyone think was so great about her? Shaking her head she turned away from the situation without another word and walked back into the kitchen to finish making dinner. Austin couldn't help but notice that John's mother had completely ignored her. She definitely didn't know that this was going to be a challenge. _

_._

_._

_John wrapped his arms around his girlfriend resting his head on top of hers. She let out a small yawn and snuggled deeper into his chest as he rubbed her back. "Are you ready to go home?" He whispered in her ear. She nodded against his chest and he kissed her forehead again before pulling away from her slightly. "C'mon let's go say goodbye and we can go."_

_"Do you think she will ever like me?"_

_"I think she just needs to warm up to you, this always happens." Austin frowned slightly as they walked towards the door. _

_Matt stopped them. "Wait! Look above you." Their eyes traveled up where a mistletoe hung. John smirked slightly before he pulled Austin in for a kiss. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Just before they pulled away from one another, a flash of light surrounded the couple. They saw his mother standing with a camera and a small smile before walking away. _

_"I think she is warming up to you," John whispered in Austin's ear before kissing her one last time. _

...

"John!" He was broken out of his reverie by the yelling of his brother. Matt walked up the stairs to see his brother holding the photograph in his hands.

John wiped his eyes and placed the picture back in it's place on the wall. Taking a deep breath, he tried to regain his composure. "What is it?"

"You have some visitors downstairs."


End file.
